Students
to SERVE community,
hurricane
victims
By Patti
Clark
Contributor
round 50 degrees on
the morning of May 19, but in the shade of the middle school at
9 on that Saturday, it felt much colder to about 20 middle and
high school students.
They quickly warmed up, though, as local contractors explained
how cut, attach and tape drywall and how to be safe on a job site.
Those in attendance are among 36 students and 17 adults who will
travel to the heart of New Orleans on June 30 to repair homes
damaged by Hurricane Katrina nearly two years ago. The trip, coordinated
through the Owen County KEYS Community Partnership, will be the
springboard activity for a new, youth-led, community-service organization,
Owen County S.E.R.V.E., which stands for Service, Enthusiasm,
Relationships, Volunteerism and Experience.
Tony Watkins, therapist for the KEYS program and one of the organizers
of the trip, said Owen County S.E.R.V.E. is about helping local
youth regain the dignity they need to be successful in school
– and in life.
“So many young people lack basic dignity,” he said.
“Dignity is not something parents can buy for their children.
Dignity is not something that can be taught in the classroom.
It is the product of knowing that the ‘I’ of oneself
is connected to and accountable to the ‘we’ of the
human race.”
Watkins said he believes that dignity is regained when teens give
of themselves without expecting anything in return.
“Owen County S.E.R.V.E. is about giving the young folk of
Owen County the opportunity to help others.”
On the workday earlier this month, contractors Cindy Knott, Jimmie
Williams and Doug Smith spent the day helping students learn a
few tricks they could use once they arrive in New Orleans. Knott
and Williams will accompany the group, and Smith will get the
chance to help out in New Orleans the next week when Monterey
Baptist Church heads to the Big Easy for a mission trip.
And while KEYS has coordinated the trip and has picked up the
majority of the cost – about $30,000 for this program –
other businesses and organizations have been strong supporters.
They include: Owen Electric, Dairy Queen, Owen County Building
Supply, Toyota, Owen County School Board, Youth Service Center,
Owen County Teen Alcohol Prevention Project, Monterey Baptist
Church, Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church and Owenton First United
Methodist Church.
Owen Building Supply donated $200 worth of supplies for the student
training day and Doug Lubbe of Dairy Queen supplied lunch for
the group. The Owen County Youth Service Center and Pat Gibson
supplied drinks and snacks.
“Owen County is blessed to have an abundance of adults who
know how to give to others and model servanthood for the youth,”
Watkins said.
For the most part, Watkins explained, students will be hanging
drywall, painting and doing finishing work on houses that have
already been gutted of damaged furniture and construction materials.
In addition to their work in the homes, students will take photos
and write a blog that will be posted on the school’s Web
site in order to keep those back home up to date with what’s
happening down South.
When the group arrives in New Orleans, they’ll be staying
at the World Trade Center right next to the Mississippi River.
Operation NOAH (New Orleans Area Homes) Rebuild has leased three
floors of the building for housing volunteers who come to New
Orleans to help in the rebuild effort.
Operation NOAH hopes to rebuild more than 1,000 homes and 20 churches
over the next two years and is a partnership project between the
North American Mission Board, Louisiana Baptist Convention and
New Orleans area associations.
For students, the trip and being able to serve in the community
down the road are opportunities for which they’ve been longing.
“It’s a good opportunity for teens to volunteer,”
said Shayla Fulton. “There’s not a lot of opportunities
locally for teens to volunteer so this is a good start.”
Fulton said she’d like the group to consider helping the
Owen County Friends of Animals build an animal shelter during
some of the service times in the next year.
Each student who attends the trip must commit to at least one
hour of service a month in the community over the next year.
If any group, organization or individual has volunteer work they’d
like the youth to consider, they should contact Watkins at 484-4144.
“It will be good to do work close to home, too,” said
Emma Engelman. “It will be neat to see the results of our
work.”
“There are people here who don’t have anything either,”
Brianna Clark added. “I like the idea of helping people
who don’t have anything.”
Mark Wilson said he’s also glad for the chance to help others.
“I want to help people get back on their feet,” he
said. “It’ll be cool helping others. If it happened
to us, they’d help us.”
Wilson said he likes volunteering and has assisted his mom in
her work with the local food pantry and clothing center.
“I like helping people when I can,” he added. “I
know it’s going to be a lot of hard work, but it’s
going to be a new experience.”
Rebekah Snell said she likes the idea of helping others, but she
also likes the idea of going to New Orleans, where there’s
been so much destruction and so little rebuilding accomplished.
“There’s been so much talk about New Orleans after
Hurricane Katrina,” she said, “but we never really
felt what they were going through. This is going to be a lot of
work, but it’s worth it. They deserve it after what they’ve
been through.”
Alexa Howard said she too is looking forward to making a difference
in New Orleans, but added just having the opportunity to serve
is most important to her.
“I like the idea of going to New Orleans and I think this
trip will bond us as a group,” she said. “It’s
an awesome opportunity, but I think it will definitely humble
us.”
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